GET IN MY CLOSET

NYFW Spotlight: Mongol Fall 2015

Traditional Mongolian shapes, such as the reinterpreted take on the deel, and patterns paired well with a luxurious range of fabrics and textures at the F/W 2015 MONGOL presentation. The designer, Bayarmaa Bayakhuu, prides herself in using Mongolian sourced raw material when designing a fast paced line set to the background of long standing traditions. A silky, golden dress shimmered illustriously against its velvet shearling coat counterpart, while a green fur chubby popped above the glistening strips of a leather strip skirt sashaying below.

This was Bayarmaa Bayakhuu’s first NYFW runway show, and she made sure to make an impact of her entrance. A fused performance from musicians Ashit, Nansa and Bilguun, incorporating electric with traditional throat singing and playing of the morin khuur, set the tone of her eclectic influences. Mongolian dress elements and bright colors were a welcome change to a season used to seeing a more subdued palette. A shiny red shearling coat proved to be a highlight. A PVC coated pink cape kept further attention. Another shearling, this time in bright green, shimmered and changed colors, alternating between the green and blue depending on the angle as the model shasayed down the runway. On the subject of PVC, while the cut-out blue pants might not be an item for everyone, they added more playfulness and fun, and the same style in green made a deeper impact as a skirt underneath a fur coat.

High collars on dresses and vests gave a nod to Mongolian heritage, while the traditional headdresses worn backwards played off on the modern interpretations of the clothes. The only confusing look? A white shirred-waist dress seemed out of place in an otherwise highly energized collection.